Jurassic Park

I'll observe the one on the A4 again this year and maybe hold off on it (not to mention that I'll have to travel quite far to get one I expect - had to go to Wisley to get the Wollemia) until I've seen what a different summer might do. We are sheltered a bit, but the wind whips round the house and into the garden from time to time. But as David said, even a few yards can make a difference, so I won't know for sure until I've got one!

 

We have a tiny baby Gingko that I bought my husband as a seedling (he was studying them for his thesis). We cann him Guy, and he currently sits on the living room windowsill - he loses his leaves at odd times of the year, likely because he lives indoors. Last year he didn't lost them until October, but the year before it was August. Also, the male and female plants lose their leaves at slightly different times.

I have seen reasnobly mature Gingko trees at garden centres for reasnoble prices, but they are'nt that common. Lovely looking trees though

 

Perhaps the August leaf drop is a welsh "thing" :D :D

 

I've never seen one in a garden centre linzibean. Maybe I'm not going to the right ones! I was thinking of buying one online. I've never bought plants online before, but it looks as though it'll be much cheaper. The garden centre at my mother-in-law's sold a monkey puzzle tree for �£55 and it was tiny. Online I can get a larger one for half that, so maybe it's worth the gamble?

 

The garden centre near my parents in Pontefract has trees about 4-5ft high for �£15. I don't visit the plant sections of garden centres all that often, and haven't seen them anywhere else. I got Guy from a local grower I looked up through the RHS website, but I imagine you could find more established plants online too. Certainly worth looking as prices can be great online!!

 

Looking online, here is one that seems to have a wide variety of ginkgos (I didn't know there was more than one!)

http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/ginkgos.html

Not sure how cheap / expensive they are in comparison to other sites, but it seems reasnoble.

 

One of my clients has a forty year old one, beutiful when in leaf epecially autumn but a dull tree out of leaf.

 

Thank you for that link - what a great website! I hadn't realised there were so many types either. I thought you just got a Ginkgo biloba and that was that, but wow! I have to say, I'm tempted to get a pair of the "Chi-Chi" variety, as I have a filthy sense of humour.

Paul - that's one thing I'm a little concerned about, as my Magnolia shed all its leaves (should have got the evergreen one!), and it looks really miserable. Although with the ferns and conifers showing all sorts of different greens the garden hasn't been too forlorn.

I bought a Pinus mugo "Carston's Wintergold", which will brighten up Conifer Corner and a Camellia x williamsii "Donation" at the weekend, when my mother-in-law and I retreated to her local garden centre (there was a Hibs match on, and my father-in-law is convinced there's a huge anti-Catholic conspiracy against them...). One thing I've noticed is that all the flowering plants I have are winter-flowering. Which is a shame, because I'd like to attract the bees in the spring and summer. I might get some very non-Jurassic wallflowers or geraniums and put them up against the wall opposite my kitchen window.

 

The myrtle, monkey puzzle tree, Chusan palm and shuttlecock fern my parents-in-law bought me for my birthday last month arrived, and I've potted them up outside. The monkey puzzle tree looks really miserable and a bit brown, but I don't think it's dead (no photos yet as I'm constantly missing the best light to photograph the garden...).

The Metasequoia is looking good - leaves are starting to appear on the sides, despite me hacking it half to bits! And there are seven cuttings which may or may not survive (have hopefully done everything I should).

I'm wondering if my little Magnolia will flower this year. That would be lovely.

And I'm reading an excellent book - "The Wollemi Pine" by James Woodford. If you'd said two years ago that I'd be buying plant books, joining the RHS and giving up clothes shopping in favour of a trip to the garden centre, I'd have laughed my head off!

 

Julia, I just spotted this thread and need to ask is your myrtle a Myrtus communis if it is, is it in it's second or third year because although it is technically hardy, it doesn't do so good in it's early years in our winters and likes a bit of nursing.

 

It is a Myrtus communis tarentina. And yes, it is quite small - came in a 3l pot. :( I thought it'd be okay in a fairly sheltered spot (we've not had any frost since I planted it - not even this morning). Should I stick it in my mini greenhouse or even bring it indoors?

 

Had some great weather on Sunday, so I thought I'd get a few photos of Jurassic Park (I was moving all the pots right up against the walls to shelter them from the gales though, so they look a bit like a very straggly regiment!).



Everything is still alive and kicking, although some of the ferns could do with a good cutting back.

I am so impressed with how my Dicksonia antarctica is doing now (left) compared to Easter Day last year (right):



And the Metasequoia is thriving! Lots of shoots like this all down the stem:



Leaves are slowly unravelling on my Magnolia, which is a relief as I was a bit worried that it wouldn't deal well with winter! My mum thinks I must have green fingers, but my whole attitude towards my garden is delighted bewilderment that everything is still alive!

 

Nice going Julia they are doing well in that sheltered spot.

 

Thank you Walnut - they do seem to like it there. No direct sun first thing in the morning, but after about 3pm they get it good and proper. Still a bit chilly to put the Wollemia out, and I'm nervous of putting the Metasequoia out until April-May.

 

So I spent the whole holiday weekend wondering if I should have fleeced everything up or brought the more delicate members of Jurassic Park indoors before we left for the North, only to come home and see that not only had they all survived, but the little &%*#s had actually thrived! Leaves on the Magnolia and Hamamelis, new growth on the ferns including five fronds unfurling themselves on the shuttlecock fern, and some very perky cycads and palms. The only thing concerning me is my Camellia, but I'll ask about that elsewhere.

My next bit of excitement is the arrival of five cycad seeds from Chiltern. I know I have Dioon, Encephalartos, Lepidozamia, Macrozamia and Zamia, but I don't know which is which, or which species it'll be! So I have a fun few weeks or months ahead of me trying to get the seeds to germinate and then seeing what each one might be!